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| CONTENTS: |
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| Section 1 |
- Topical Topics |
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Leadership Opportunities . . .
Over past issues we’ve critically examined the roles, the credentials and the strategies that are peculiar to the leadership role. Now it’s time to explore some of the opportunities that people in leadership roles possess that could make profound differences in the lives of those they lead.
This means we’re comparing and contrasting how a leadership perspective can add unique and substantial value to some ordinary and familiar undertakings. Since this is the Holiday Season, incorporating several religious events as well as the winter solstice, I thought it would be a good time to take a leader’s perspective on wisdom . . .
A Lesson worth learning . . .
It was the summer of my sixteenth year; I’d had a bad bout of bronchitis that spring and I wasn’t yet fully recovered. During the previous autumn my great aunt – she who is the fount of all wisdom – had lost her husband and was still deeply immersed in the grieving process. So my parents, in their wisdom, decided that I should spend the summer school break with her at the family ‘home’ on the shores of Loch Dhu in the highlands of Scotland.
Those of you who know the Scottish Highlands in the summer months will recollect that it tends to rain. The first three days I was there, the heavens just opened and the rains descended. Since the large and rambling house had been our family home for countless generations, here was a wonderful opportunity for me to explore its many nooks and crannies.
One of the many intriguing things I found in my explorations was a mysterious package, sent to my uncle by one of the major department stores in London just prior to his death. With my aunt’s consent I opened it to find a wonderful, state-of-the-art fishing rod.
Now, I know very little about fishing, and I knew even less then, but fortunately there was a detailed instruction manual included. It described the many features and benefits of the rod together with some basic notes on fishing techniques. I studied it with the avid intensity of a dedicated student. On the first fine day, promising my aunt that I’d return with lunch, I was away to the loch-side.
After a few false starts, I was beginning to get the knack of the thing and was even managing to get the hook out into deeper waters without stripping the local trees of their foliage. Suddenly I became aware of a presence at my elbow and looking around I discovered a truly ancient ‘ghillie’ (estate worker). I was sure he was a relic from the Battle of Culloden – fought in April 1746, the last formal battle fought on British soil – he appeared to be that old. Under a shock of pristine white hair and craggy eyebrows, two piercing blue eyes bored out at me over a fine hooked nose, a thin, lipless mouth and pointed chin.
He said, “That’s an awfu’ fine rod ye’ve got there!” That was all the invitation I needed to launch a detailed recitation of all I’d accumulated over the past three days. I extolled the virtues of the equipment, the triple-plated, stainless steel guide rings, the composite material that made an unbreakable rod, the ultra-modern, high technology reel mechanism. All he offered was “Och, aye! Och, aye!” I later discovered that this was ‘highland–speak for “BS”
After a while I refocused on my labours. I was performing reasonably well by this point and was able to drop the hook within an intended area three times out of five; now to do it without losing the bait! About twenty minutes later I noticed the ghillie had returned. In his hands he was holding a spectacular, eighteen-inch lake trout which he gently placed on my creel with the words, “Would this be what ye’re lookin’ fer?” I was astounded and my sagging jaw revealed this. “But you don’t even have a rod, or a net or anything!” I observed, “How did you do that?”.
Now I was faced with a dilemma; should I take the trout home and say nothing, allowing my aunt to assume that I’d been as successful as I’d boasted I would be? Or should I confess and tell her the story? While still deliberating on this I entered the summer kitchen and there was my aunt. She looked at the fish – she didn’t even glance at me – and she said, “Oh, so ye met Jamie, did ye?” Clearly, both she and Jamie, the ghillie, knew a lot more than I did for all my recently acquired knowledge.
Later I found out how Jamie had worked his miracle; it was by ‘tickling trout’ This is accomplished by knowing that the fish, after heavy rains, will select the shelter of a shady overhanging bank, in shallow water but out of the direct sunlight, where they’ll sit motion-less allowing the stirred up sediments to drift past them while they feed. The art is to insert one’s hand very slowly behind the stationary fish and then to lightly stroke their under belly with a rhythmic motion which mesmerizes the fish, causing it to become somewhat rigid. Then, at the right moment, and with a fluid motion, you hook the fish out of the water and onto the bank. Jamie patiently taught me how to do this.
More importantly, I learned from this experience the significant difference between ‘knowledge’ and ‘wisdom’. Surely, I had knowledge, knowing all there was to know about the state-of-the-art fishing rod, but I would go hungry for a long time relying upon this. Jamie understood fish, their realities and their habits, and so he didn’t need a fishing rod. He could neither read nor write but he was imbued with natural wisdom - and he ate handsomely.
So, what does this mean . . .?
It all makes good sense if you think about it. Should we want to recruit a key person, it isn’t enough to know the intricacies of behavioural interviewing or the finer points of decision-support profiling. We have to know where the right candidates are right now, and how they will respond to our opportunity. If we are launching a new product, a detailed knowledge of pricing and packaging won’t ensure sales but an appreciation of market trends, buyer preferences and economic conditions could make a significant difference.
Too often we focus more on the means rather than on the intended outcome. My fixation and resultant reliance on the technology of the rod would not feed me or anyone else. It could, and did, distract me from my objective – a fish for lunch. Technology is a tremendous assist to our businesses but it can also be a major impediment and encumbrance.
Recently I was trying to arrange a major conference with another organization. The program involved a number of contiguous presentations with meaningful interaction between the presentations. The IT specialists involved quickly pointed out that each participant could be provided with all the salient information ahead of time and on a compact disk so that they’d each have immediate access through their laptops and in real time. There’d be no need for hard copy.
When I observed that the intention was to create new perspectives by sharing ideas as the conference progressed, the IT specialists could not see beyond the ready availability of the original information. In their view, the requested hard copy was simply a duplication of what was on the CD so why would it be necessary? I asked how participants would integrate new ideas with the existing e-copy and they offered to research the technology to achieve this. The main objective of the conference – sharing ideas – would have been overwhelmed by the technology; all available data would have been distributed but no one would be able to access, amend and/or engage it during spontaneous dialogue. We finally decided to prepare hard copy portfolios for use at the event and to save the CDs for post-event distribution!
NASA spent much time and millions of dollars conceiving, designing and producing a pen that astronauts could use dependably in zero-gravity conditions; the Soviets gave their cosmonauts pencils. You’ll recall my story from last month about reducing bird-strikes at a military airfield – it’s the same situation! Technology sometimes overshadows outcomes.
We must keep our eyes on the real ball. There are so many distractions, all of which have their own merits I’m sure, but which do not help to attain the primary objective.
Wisdom is the ability to know what it is that needs to be done before we invest our precious time and resources working out how it is to be done. It requires that we retain the big picture, test our assumptions, challenge our preconceptions and validate our intended outcomes as part of defining the right opportunity.
The Role of the Leader . . .
is pivotal in all this. The leader is the one who focuses the desire for change resident in others and then assists with the facilitation of a sustainable new reality. There’s always a role for technical and specialized leadership of course, but this is not the main requirement. The leader’s first responsibility is to ensure that focus is true – that the real issue is being addressed. The credible and effective leader does not take people where they do not need to go; does not lead them to any future but rather to the one that is relevant, mutually valued and fully shared.
Leaders are required to take their followers into unknown realms, and to boldly go where no one has gone before demands the utmost wisdom. It has also been said that while leaders are properly concerned about ‘what’ gets done, managers usually direct others to known goals and objectives - focusing their attention on ‘how’ it can best be achieved
The ultimate responsibility of any leader though is to create other leaders. Outcomes in leadership development can never be fully known or predicted – there are no ways of foreseeing the future and so no processes can be mastered that will guarantee success. Leaders are like fingerprints or retinal configurations – they can be similar but never identical.
The lessons in leadership that others have learned can guide us - but they cannot be replicated for success. Role models too, are invaluable as guides and mentors but they have very limited value as coaches. Wisdom is such a very personal expression, involving the application of all of our complex values and beliefs, our perceptions and emotions, and although outcomes can often be exquisitely focused, they cannot be fully predicted.
So, managers can deal with precise methods, discreet knowledge and exacting precedents to take one to specific outcomes; here technology and established practice are friends and allies and they can be transferred to others, shared and deployed, growing and refining in the process.
Leaders, on the other hand, can use only their wisdom to move forward into the unknown; and wisdom is a solitary expression, each incident stands or falls on its merits alone.
The bottom line . . .
The currency for leaders is wisdom, which can’t be acquired; it has to be experienced. No matter how many examples are studied and dissected, we cannot reduce it below the level of principle or law. From that point forward, we’re on our own. We can seek it, to be sure, but it is unpredictable in its origin and form. It will emerge from the mouths of ‘babes and sucklings’ and yet it can also be found in the examples of others.
Our preconceptions will not help us; in fact they’ll more often hinder us. As leaders we have to keep an open mind, ready to admit wisdom from any source, at any time and in any form. As auntie used to say, “The Guid Lord gave ye two ears and one mouth – use them in proportion!” Prayer and meditation are invitations to wisdom, perhaps that’s why they can have so great an impact on our lives whenever we admit them.
When did you last set time aside to seek wisdom?
I'd welcome your questions, comments and suggestions. We can all learn through dialogue and your experiences will undoubtedly gain more value when shared. Please contact me at david@andros.org.
A Note to our Readers . . .
Previous series of articles on the topics of
- Tomorrow’s Leaders – a model for SME organizations
- The Leadership Crucible – the ‘making’ of leaders
- Leadership Characteristics – a comprehensive catalogue of leader qualities
- Succession Planning – the strategic argument, principles and strategies, and
- Managing Change – every person’s guide to painless processes
have been summarized as discussion guides for those who lead and manage through mentoring and coaching. If you would like to secure a copy for your own use, please contact us.
It is a pleasure to share ideas with you and we’d welcome your questions, suggestions and comments. They’ll assist us to refine and expand the essential value of these initiatives.
Thanks in anticipation for your participation.
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Timely Insights . . .
NO Santa Claus? (author unknown but still celebrated)
The wisdom of grandparents never ceases to amaze me. I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma.
I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!" My Grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me.
I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her world-famous cinnamon buns. I knew they were world-famous, because Grandma said so, it had to be true. Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything.
She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus?" She snorted...."Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad!! Now, put on your coat, and let's go." "Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun.
"Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days.
"Take this money," she said, "and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.
I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for.
I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, and the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobby Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs Pollock's second grade class. Bobby Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out at recess during the winter.
His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobby Decker didn't have a cough; he didn't have a good coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobby Decker a coat! I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked really warm, and he would like that.
"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down. "Yes, ma'am," I replied shyly. "It's for Bobby." The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat.
I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas. That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons and wrote, "To Bobby, From Santa Claus" on it. A little tag fell out of the coat, and Grandma tucked it in her Bible.
Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobby Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially, one of Santa's helpers. Grandma parked down the street from Bobby's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge.
"All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going." I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his door and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open.
Finally it did, and there stood Bobby. Fifty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my Grandma, in Bobby Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumours about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were - ridiculous.
Santa was indeed alive and well, and we were on his team. I still have the Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.
May you always have LOVE to share; and may you always believe in the magic of Santa Claus!
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| Section 2 |
- Talk Back |
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Coach's Corner . . .
A selection of frequently-asked questions.
A selection from frequently–asked questions
Dear Coach,
I’m living with the problem, it’s not mine. It all started when my husband’s boss turned him down for a special assignment. I think his boss was right, but my husband doesn’t agree. Now he’s really resentful of the boss and refuses to do anything more than the basics on his job. I think this is hurting him even though his boss is still a perfect gentleman. My husband won’t talk about it but he sulks whenever the boss is around, which is frequently because it’s a small business. The problem I have is what can I do to preserve the peace?
Response:
I take my hat off to you for wanting to do something constructive about the situation. This is a challenging issue and it would be all too easy to avoid it, rationalize that it’s not your problem or just hope that it would go away. I believe you’re right to make an effort to surface the issues and move the people involved towards a solution. Problems like this don’t heal over time; they tend to go underground and fester.
This sounds like a family-type issue and it’s very common-place in smaller organizations where ‘plum assignments’ are rare but expectations are high and personal. When the expectation is high and the experience doesn’t meet it, the gap created can look like a vast chasm, impossible to cross and wider with every day that passes.
Your initial steps, I’m sure, included pointing out to your husband the consequences of his behavior. This is a most reasonable approach and also a safe way of trying to get a truer perspective on the behaviors. The trouble is that while your suggestions may be logical and entirely reasonable, your motives might be less than clear. Perhaps your intention was to help your husband see the issues more clearly but how do you think he might have perceived them?
If his response was to close you out, it may be that he is less-than-comfortable with your motives. He may think that the boss enlisted your help, that you are more sympathetic to the boss’s position than to his, or that you consider him unworthy of the opportunity that was offered. Your stated opinion that the ‘boss was right’ perhaps supports this.
Is it possible that your husband might see you as self-interested, short-term, unsupportive or simply as complaining and non-aligned? How do you think your motives came across? What did you really want to accomplish in your discussions about the incident? You need to start here, so ask yourself, “Why and where do I want to go with this conversation?”
Motive must precede message. When your motive is genuine, mutual and longer-term your husband is likely to hear you better. To identify a more acceptable motive ask your self, ”What do I really want for me, for my husband and for our relationship?” The first two parts will assist you to find a mutually acceptable motive and the relationship part will help in the longer-term. This starting question can be developed into deeper questions about what your husband actually wants - motives, choices and desires – and could promote a useful dialogue between you rather than a ‘nagging lesson’.
You could also stimulate a constructive discussion between your husband and his boss. This isn’t likely or even desirable until you’ve surfaced some fresh perspectives, but when the time is right, meaning when all parties feel safe on the issues, you could encourage an opportunity for open dialogue. Your husband would need a new approach, such as, “I’ve been thinking about the things I could be doing to prepare myself for different and bigger challenges so I could be making a greater contribution to the company, boss. Do you have any suggestions?”
The decision on this particular assignment may well have been influenced by factors unrelated to your husband’s perceived value. Also, your husband needs to accept that the decisions of the past are not binding, and may not even be properly indicative of the Boss’s opinions of his value to the organization.
At the moment, his feelings are raw, but can be soothed by taking a broader perspective. Raise the focal point of the issue above the immediate rejection – to a more strategic and considered assessment of future value - and you may well help to deflect the current antagonism your husband is experiencing.
I hope this helps.
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Commentary . . .
Management by Being Around . . .
Firsthand observation on the front lines can offer the critical insights that make for inspired – and inspiring – leadership
(Laseter & Laseter 2007)
Think about Sam Walton taking a 500 mile bus trip to visit a competitor; Taiichi Ohno of Toyota having his production managers stand in a circle for an entire shift so they could observe the manufacturing process; and Jeff Immelt, CEO of GE, spending sixty percent of his 100 hour work week on the road, and you’ll realize that they know something you don’t!
It all happens ‘out there’! It’s true that substantial, detailed data is readily available at the touch of a computer key, but this is not reality. The critical, visceral insights needed to lead effectively can only come from firsthand contact. What is often the pivotal factor in changing people’s perspectives, to securing commitment, to appreciating the limits of any initiative, does not translate through abstracted numbers and graphical representations.
When I was a very young leader in the military (here I go again!) my mentors and tutors made sure that I spent real time with my men at the front line. This was definitely not my preferred course of action – it was cold, wet and uncomfortable most of the time, and I had many important things to do. I recall thinking that being cold and wet wasn’t necessary and may even have been distracting. Surely, I could accomplish all I needed by the occasional ‘morale building’ visit and then back to the warmth and comforts of Headquarters?
As soon as I committed myself to being ‘out there’ I understood. There’s a level of communication that occurs only when you’re actually ‘there’. It isn’t verbal, tangible or even noticeable most of the time. It happens at a level that defies the rationality of the physical senses. It’s almost intuitive but yet it spreads among those present in ways that seem magical.
I remember the first time my unit tasted hostile action. In the short, precipitous moments before the action began I sensed an excitement, a focus, an awareness and a bonding between those around me that immediately dictated my energy, my attention and my determination beyond anything I would have thought possible. It wasn’t intellectual or emotional – just a shift in perspective to which everyone responded. It made a critical difference.
How could this be communicated to anyone who wasn’t there? It couldn’t! There’s absolutely no way to share it other than being ‘in the moment’. What can be done to ensure that you, as leader, can tap into this pivotal state and gain the key insights that move others to essential action? Here are some principles that are described by Tim Laseter and Larry Laseter in their article “See for Yourself” in Strategy+Business this month;
- Go and See – Following an extended trip through fifty US states, ten Canadian provinces and all of Mexico, Toyota engineers redesigned the aerodynamics, turning capabilities and even the number of cup-holders in their 2004 Sierra minivan before releasing it to the North American market. It would likely never have sold as successfully as it has if left in the original Japanese configuration. NA drivers weren’t aware of what they needed until they actually experienced it. How would this have been communicated otherwise?
- Prepare to Learn – When US automotive suppliers were first invited to visit Japanese competitors, it was the senior executives who were selected for the trip – and being more focused on the unique travel experience and less familiar with the intricacies of their own operations, they failed to register the immense wealth of information available even though it was provided in English. When the Japanese returned the visit, because the NA executives could not reciprocate with tour commentaries in Japanese, they were allowed to bring tape recorders to assist their understanding. This meant that they could record the sounds of production processes and so calculate cycle times, critical tolerances and much else besides.
- Look for Problems – From Disney World waiting lines to convenient candy packaging, smart businesses have profited by observing end-users as they deal with the picayune challenges in daily living. How often did we struggle to lift a heavy suitcase or baby stroller out of a vehicle trunk, accepting it as a ‘necessary nuisance’? Honda solved this simple problem and made a name for them selves for thoughtful design. Flush openings are now standard design features in most family vehicles.
- Seek out Root Causes – Solutions aren’t always obvious. A remarkably effective thinking device is to ask “Why?” five times to search out the genesis of an issue. Factoring human experience into computer algorithms has long proven to be well worth the effort and demonstrates that logic alone is not enough – we need that ‘intuitive’ component that arises only when human inventiveness is admitted. There have been enough Eureka experiences in history to prove their worth and every one of them arose out of direct experiences.
- Teach Others to Observe – The weekly store walks instituted by Home Depot’s Merchandising VP in 2005 led to the valuable insight that it was an advantage to present products in line with the customer’s likely experiences. Placing carpet cleaners next to the deep cleaning vacuum machines for which each was best suited helps the customer to answer application questions for him/her self rather than having to seek out a store associate’s advice. All store lay outs are now based on this simple approach and business has never been better.
- Make it Personal – Back to the military, to General Stonewall Jackson of the US Confederate Army. He understood the realities of soldiering from firsthand experience and he was idolized by his men. West Point cadets still study his visceral understanding of tactical leadership and few can match his talents in observation and response. Few leaders today can inspire their people as did he, because they do not gain the direct onsite awareness that he cultivated
Too many managers today are like the pointy-haired manager in Dilbert cartoons – substantially out-of-touch with the realities of their business. Successful enterprises are built with strategic ‘walls’ for sure, but the ‘bricks’ need to be made from direct contacts. We’ve experienced enough of the ‘fads’ of management – go where it’s real, where the realities are properly connected and where there’s a full sense of what is possible. Here be Truth!
Think about it!
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A Point of View . . .
This section is a guest column. Those with different and interesting viewpoints are invited to state a case on a related topic. Articles are most welcome.
Telephone Etiquette!
One of the most profound and truly life-changing experiences of my life so far occurred about 8 years ago when I read Dr. Stephen Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” In this book I read:
“Between stimulus and response there is a space
In that space lies our freedom to choose our response
In those choices lie our growth and our happiness”
This concept, though known to me at an intellectual level, written down in black and white, hit me like a ton of bricks. Over time, I’m glad to say, it’s taken less and less effort for me to remember and apply this powerful little concept.
Now I’m confident in saying that in the tumultuous circumstances of daily life I’m more likely to make good decisions, based on consideration and careful thought, than I am bad decisions, based on emotional reactivity. But it’s still not easy!
One way in which this concept manifests is with the event of a ringing (or buzzing) phone (the stimulus). The human condition compels us to answer it (the response)! Don’t believe me? See if you can recognize any one of these emotional reactions (that drive the response) the next time your phone rings or your blackberry buzzes:
- Anticipation (running across the room to catch the phone before you miss it)
- Intrigue (I wonder if that’s the dude I met the other night!)
- Annoyance (dammit don’t they know I’m in a meeting right now!)
- Frustration (Sh*t where is it…I can’t get it out of my pocket…I’m gonna miss the call! Arggggh!)
I’m sure we’ve all laughed at the TV sketch where a comic causes a payphone to ring and witnesses random passers-by as they stop what they are doing to answer it! This is not a phone in YOUR house, remember, not YOUR blackberry you understand, but a public PAYPHONE!! We simply can’t resist a ringing phone! Just try not answering the phone next time it rings and see what happens!
So if we are truly free to “choose our response” as Dr. Covey teaches, then how might we apply this to the instance of a ringing phone? Why would we want to?
Consider this. You are in your manager’s office discussing, what is to you, an extremely important issue, requiring her full attention. You are in full flow when her phone rings. Reactively, she answers.
Now, if she engages with the caller, she’s telling you that you are less important. If she disengages the caller she’s telling them that they’re less important! Often it’s the case that no matter what we actually say we could be sending any one of these messages:
- “I have no control over my emotions and have answered this phone because
- “it was ringing! I can’t help myself ”
- “I was hoping that you were someone else!” or,
- “You are less important than who I’m with right now!”
- “I’m sorry, what I am doing now is more important than you” or,
- “If you were more considerate you wouldn’t have called me right now!”
None of this actually helps to build relationships. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t answer the buzzing phone. I am suggesting that, if we accept that our job as leaders and managers is to BUILD relationships, we might use the concept of “freedom to choose” to guide us toward the appropriate response the next time the phone rings or our Blackberry buzzes. The bonus is ….. life is a lot less stressful!
Happy Holidays!
Richard
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| Section 3 |
- On the Horizon |
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The Positive Workplace
The real Jack? The real you?
Telling the story last month of Jack Donohue’s ability to have me feel safe and secure in his presence – in spite of his very clear and direct message that if ‘anything was going to be, it was up to me’ - got me thinking about the making of the man and his understated, yet very obvious, self-confidence.
What had led him to be who he was? What had defined the way he interacted with us, allowing him to reach us so effectively? His message was direct and unequivocal. “We are the masters of our destiny”, he’d said. “We define our own lives and, equally importantly, our relationships with others – and our potential to influence them.”
Spending time with our two grandchildren these last couple of days has provided some thoughts on the subject! Notwithstanding the fact that the elder of the two girls is but 4 years old – and the babe a mere 16 months, I’ve come to appreciate just how early our inherent strengths show up – and our real character begins to develop!
It didn’t take these two very young children any time at all to convince me that they’d already begun to define their values, to take positions on right from wrong, and good versus bad. They were even able to communicate most effectively their opinions about what’s acceptable - or not, and what is important - or not! So confident were they of their particular opinions, one might even consider them to be the very beginnings of their fundamental beliefs!
Jack Donohue’s values and beliefs were every bit as clear. Could he too have maintained his values from such a young age, or had ‘life’ intervened – questioning, challenging and replacing them as he faced different circumstances and events?
I clearly remember a recent conversation with my daughter when she was faced with the challenges of a recent change in role. News of a promotion had come on a Friday, then the following Monday saw her away from the office for two full weeks.
Yet within three hours of my daughter’s return she was on the phone to me, saying, “UUuugghhhh Mum, you never told me management was going to be like this! It took my staff less than twenty minutes to hit me with a critical ‘issue’.”
“Now I have to figure out my position on this issue, the decisions I need to make and what action to take – and all in one heck of a hurry, before things begin to fall apart!”
“I’m really confused, because I know how much I hate any inconsistency in my boss’ behaviour ...and I can feel myself beginning to change – even when I know how important it is to behave consistently.”
Perhaps you’ve noticed how life events, changes in circumstance, function or role, often cause us to see the world quite differently. At any given point in time we might look at a single situation from the perspective of a working professional and/or that of a community member and/or that of a parent. Our perceptions of that same situation may differ substantially when seen from the different perspectives or roles.
Consider, for example, how one tolerates it, albeit with some small degree of irritation, when a colleague misses a deadline through carelessness. Whereas the same event when viewed through the perspective of a supervisor or manager might appear to be a Machiavellian plot!
At times these differences, these apparent contradictions in our perceptions, or how we see the world, may cause us considerable discomfort, challenging our sense of safety and security and casting doubts on our self-confidence.
In any new experience, our values-in-action may need to be adjusted. We may need to adapt, to express our values differently, in order to accommodate our new role.
I wonder how many times Jack Donohue might have felt somewhat uncertain in his various roles? Might he have had to express his same values in different ways in order to reach his players? Might he have had to adapt his strategies, given so many different characters on his various teams?
Reflecting on that evening with Jack Donohue helped me help my daughter. I was able to tell her how on that late fall evening so long ago Jack’s stories about his life and his experiences over time had helped me understand that it was not he who he had changed over time...rather, it was his perspectives.
While Jack’s perspectives had differed depending on his role, the time, place and circumstance – I could see the consistency of his perceptions (his values) in all the stories he told.
I was no longer confused by his perspectives or strategies; I could see the real Jack Donohue. I could see the real person..... And that felt good. For me – and for him, I’m sure.
So ask yourself:
- Am I confident I am being my real-self even as my roles and perceptions unfold?
- Do I find and focus on the real truth in others, despite the roles they may play?
- Can I identify consistencies in my behaviour, regardless of circumstance?
Because if you can, so can others!
Till next time, be strong, be well – do good.
Amanda Levy
http://www.positiveworkplace.com
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Opportunities & Challenges . . .
20 Leadership Lessons . . .
By sharing important business lessons on film, executives communicate in the most compelling method of all, one-to-one storytelling. Contributions are edited into short, powerful, highly engaging lessons that can be applied to decision-making across the entire range of business challenges. Try it – you’ll like it! http://www.50lessons.com/welcome.asp?trailer=y
Remember to review the lesson Summary, Ideas for Action and Questions to Ask. It will take you just a few moments to gain a fresh perspective – well worth the investment!
Ask us too about a summary extract of Robert R Quinn’s book “Deep Change”. It’s yours for the asking.
Your Development . . .
How well are you doing with your personal development? Will you be ready for the opportunities and challenges that tomorrow will undoubtedly bring?
Would you like some help with
- professional / objective assessment?
- ongoing self development?
- personal, one-on-one coaching?
We have a talent for bringing out the very best in people. We help them to focus, to build self and general confidence based on committed results and we contribute to competence and resiliency.
We are Polaris – the finest self-navigation program for emerging leaders / managers. You can reach us at info@polarisprogram.com or by calling (519) 766-1178 anytime.
Perhaps Polaris would be the right program for you? We’d welcome the opportunity to demonstrate this powerful program and to contribute to the strengthening of your profile and/or management team.
There's a new program in the spring of 2008. Please contact us for details.
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Reach Out. . .
Harness the power of a sparkling new thought every week. By subscribing to our "Reach Out" service, you'll receive a short, high impact, motivating and often provocative quotation every Tuesday morning.
It will lend focus to your week, stimulation for your thinking, insights into your whole life and perhaps even solace for your soul.
Best of all, it's free! Take a moment for yourself and make room for a little refreshment.
Go to http://www.reachoutdirectory.com
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| Section 4 |
- Secure Site |
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Polaris Participants. . .
Accessing the Essential Information Bank...
Polaris participants are invited to use their assigned usernames and
passwords to access the extended curriculum and knowledge base at
http://www.polarisprogram.com/members.php
Any person who has participated in the Polaris Program at any time is
invited and encouraged to attend any Work Out at any time and without fee.
Please contact Sheila to advise her of your intention to attend.
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Be kind to yourself - and to someone else! |
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Stay well, live long and prosper.
David Huggins and Amanda Levy
Andros Consultants Limited
http://www.andros.org
Helping individuals and organizations be their best
http://www.ebooks4business.ca
Distinctive business books for the discerning mind
http://www.polarisprogram.com
Realizing tomorrow's potential - today!
Shameless Marketing Tip:
With close to thirty years of experience in identifying and resolving
professional and business issues, we've developed a wealth
of expertise that could benefit you. An exploratory consultation
carries no obligation. Let's talk! Contact us at info@andros.org
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Contact us to learn more.
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